About ICHA

Who We Are

Indian Confederation for Healthcare Accreditation is a professionally owned and driven Not-for-Profit organisation incorporated as a Section 25 Company. The basic aim of ICHA is to strengthen our health system using modified accreditation as a tool. Addressing the complexities of healthcare system comprehensively requires a collaborative team effort by all stakeholders.

ICHA is the National multi-stakeholder Confederation of National Associations/ Institutions for establishing validated excellence in healthcare in India in line with similar bodies in all developed countries. ICHA comprises all stakeholder groups across the health sector, viz. Providers, Receivers and users, Payers and funders, Educators and regulators.

Currently, all the major National Associations/Institutions of Medical Sciences and practitioners (Clinical, Lab, Admin), Nursing, Pharmacy, Therapy, Consumers, Management and Architects are our subscribers. All the Associations/Institutions are well established and are recognized as apex bodies in their respective fields.

ICHA logo depicts its mission of Patient Centred Healthcare. We seek to address Patient Safety concerns by placing patient safety at the top of all stakeholders’ agenda- be it the healthcare receiver, the provider and every stakeholder groups across the health sector. Patient Safety is the hallmark of excellence and our chosen path to achieve excellence.

We all desire safe, timely, effective, affordable, equitable and patient – centred healthcare. What we get in reality is far from what we desire; healthcare has become complex, costly and risky due to the flawed and weak healthcare system lacking adequate investment, resources and attention. Improvement of quality, safety and efficiency in healthcare is what everybody needs and wants and yet, few are willing to do something about it. Urgent action needs to be taken to address the daunting issue but not on an individual or piecemeal basis. It is a systemic issue and needs to be addressed in a concerted and consequential manner.

Magnitude of Unsafe Healthcare-Some disturbing statistics

In Healthcare there is a tsunami everyday …….We don’t realize it!

Despite recognition of the fact that “safe healthcare for all? is fundamental to improve the health index, precious little has been done to address the problem. Every day, lack of patient safety measures in healthcare facilities devastates the lives of millions of people. Hundreds of millions of patients worldwide are suffering from infections acquired in health-care facilities.

Factsheet (WHO)

In developed countries, 1 in 10 patients is harmed while receiving hospital care

In low- and middle-income countries, surgical site infection is the most surveyed type of infection with incidence rates ranging from 1.2 to 23.6 per 100 surgical procedures

Surgeries are the most complex health services and costliest. Hence Safe Surgery is a Public Health Priority.

Overall, unsafe healthcare is an economic burden and so is a major PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. Studies show that poor quality and unsafe care including: avoidable medical errors leading to additional hospitalizations and extra medical expenses, litigation costs, infections acquired in hospitals, disability, lost income and productivity have cost some countries as much as US$ 19 billion a year. Though no reliable or well documented data on magnitude of unsafe healthcare in India is available, but healthcare experiences, media reports and estimates by WHO and other global agencies suggest a worse situation in India and other developing countries including those in South -East Asia.

How ICHA proposes to address the issue?

ICHA propose to promote “safe healthcare for all? in our country with our technical and professional competencies covering the areas of education, awareness, adoption and implementation of best practices and thus, bring about the desired change. The economic benefits of this activity itself would bring returns several times worth the investment required. The social benefits are bonuses.

Nearly 700 Affiliates from all walks and all across the country. Most of these affiliates have very senior people who are the virtual advisory panel. This resource strength makes ICHA a “one-stop-destination? for all inputs needed for strengthening health systems in all its diverse aspects.

Accreditation-An ICHA Model

The desire to excel and improve is the backbone of progress, growth and development. Quality with its myriad meanings continues to be the buzzword. Progress may also bring complexity. Complexity, when harnessed can produce amazing outcomes. Left to its own, tends to become chaotic.Healthcare today is besieged with the above. Healthcare seems to be at crossroads!

There are islands of excellence in a sea of apparent chaos. Globally the level of dissatisfaction amongst all stakeholders has reached unprecedented levels. While we can do amazing feats, the costs are galloping. The quantity and speed of dissemination of information has done wonders to the level of knowledge. This has raised the expectations to never before heights. The decline of human touch and humane delivery is being increasingly voiced. Everybody seems to be doing lot more but achieving and receiving much less! In all this chaos and confusion, the casualty has been TRUST – Hallmark of healthcare and its nobility.

What is Quality in Healthcare?

Quality has a variety of meanings. However, in healthcare it should meet and / or exceed the needs as well as expectations of all stakeholders. Unlike engineering goods, quality in healthcare has technical and perceptual aspects. Thus an excellent surgery (technical) has to be coupled with responsive and caring delivery (perceptual).

Healthcare needs to meet the universally accepted norm of care that is “patient centered, effective, safe, efficient, equitable and timely?.Why & How is quality different in healthcare?

Healthcare encompasses a vast number of variables – a few mechanical and predictable, but mostly biological and unpredictable. The complexities of technological advances create the need for highly coordinated teamwork. It can be compared with an orchestra that produces a symphony through synergy and synchrony of numerous musicians with different instruments.The other aspect is the high risk nature of healthcare making prevention of errors an utmost necessity. Corrections may not be possible or the costs extremely high – financial & emotional. The miseries of wrong site surgeries are widely known and publicized.Another aspect is the approach to quality in healthcare itself. The traditional mechanical approach is to set rigid and stringent specifications. The goods and providers meeting these are said to be ‘up to the mark’ or conforming. This is the “Outside – In? approach. This works well where the variables are mechanical and predictable. But can be counterproductive where uncertainty is high. “Inside – Out? approach on the other hand is beginning with the patient (in Healthcare) needs and requirements. Optimum quality of healthcare delivery is ensured by working backwards to align processes in tandem to meet these requirements.

Healthcare comprises both, as most processes have predictable and uncertain variables thus a mixed need based customized approach is desirable.

“The distinction between mechanical and naturally adaptive systems is obvious when given some thought. However, many system designers do not seem to take this distinction into account. Rather, they design complex human systems as if the parts and interconnections were predictable in their behavior, although fundamentally, they are not. When the human parts do not act as expected or hoped for, we say that people are being “unreasonable? or “resistant to change,? their behavior is “wrong? or “inappropriate.? The system designer’s reaction typically is to specify behavior in even more detail via laws, regulations, structures, rules, guidelines, and so on. The unstated goal seems to be to make the human parts act more mechanical.?“It is more helpful to think like a farmer than an engineer or architect in designing a health care system. Engineers and architects need to design every detail of a system. This approach is possible because the responses of the component parts are mechanical and, therefore, predictable. In contrast, the farmer knows that he or she can do only so much. The farmer uses knowledge and evidence from past experience, and desires an optimum crop. However, in the end, the farmer simply creates the conditions under which a good crop is possible. The outcome is an emergent property of the natural system and cannot be predicted in detail.

Complex Adaptive System science suggests that we cannot hope to understand a priori what a CAS will do or how to optimize it. A design cannot be completed on paper. Past attempts to do this in health care have not succeeded in part because they may not have been satisfactory designs, but mainly because a new understanding of “design? is needed. ? – Paul Plsek : Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century: APPENDIX B http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10027.html

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation as the name suggests is credibility and trust – An age old mechanism of seeking trustworthy establishment or providers to put oneself in their care. We all do it albeit to the best of our limited ability.

Accreditation derives its strength from Credibility, which comes from Content and that depends on Competence for which Capability is necessary; available in plenty and our greatest strength.
Simply put, accreditation is a process based solution comprising.

Determining and achieving consensus on the right things to do

Helping healthcare providers to do the right things

Recognize and reward those who have done the right things.

Thus accreditation award is the recognition of excellence achieved through peer validation.

There are prevalent misconceptions that view accreditation as synonymous with licensure, regulation and certification. The latter are mechanisms adopted by authorities. They are necessary but neither sufficient nor enough.What is ICHA?

Indian Confederation for Healthcare Accreditation (ICHA) is a National not-for-profit organization incorporated as a Company U/S 25 of the Companies act registered in NCT of Delhi. ICHA is the National association of National associations / Institutions of all stakeholders in healthcare.

Today all the major associations of Medical (Clinical, Lab, Admin), Nursing, Pharmacy, Therapy, Consumers, Management and Architects are subscribers. There are nearly 700 individual experts and organizations called affiliates with diverse expertise in all areas of Healthcare. ICHA has the resource capability of being the “one-stop-shop? for achieving excellence in healthcare by institutions and healthcare providers.

The basic objective of ICHA is to create a mechanism to establish validated excellence in Healthcare through a comprehensive Healthcare Accreditation System. To develop a continuously improving, self-regulating, patient centered healthcare delivery system for the benefit of all concerned with healthcare i.e. ‘providers’, ‘receivers and users’, ‘payers and funders’ and ‘educators and regulators’. ICHA is an autonomous organization that, through collaborative participation of all concerned, teamwork, continuous learning and benchmarking shall endeavour to achieve India’s potential for leadership and improving the quality of life.

What is ICHA trying to do? The ICHA Initiative:

We want to make sure that the right professionals do the right things at the right time, the right place and at the right cost. This will result in prevention of errors and in reducing costs of care for all. It will enable all people to reap the benefits of modern medicine.

Why is ICHA Needed?

Quality is achieved by improvement every day. It comes from within when we want it and work for it. It CANNOT be forced! We all know how awareness, persuasion and guidance can change lives. This is something we do with our children all the time!

Is Healthcare not the Government’s Responsibility?

Healthcare is the government’s responsibility – but it is also our responsibility as well. The government can facilitate by providing resources, having appropriate infrastructure, providing corrective mechanisms and so on. By virtue of its power and authority, it can promulgate acts and regulations. However, acts and regulations can only ensure the minimum (if at all, and only when the acts and regulations are wisely written and implemented properly). But is the minimum sufficient? The simple answer is – we all want more than minimum; we all want Quality care.

How is ICHA different?

The values and guiding principles of ICHA are embedded in the basic pillars of excellence – TRUST – TRANSPARENCY – TRANSACTIONS (communication). It believes in a partnership paradigm instead of adversarial relationships. We believe that each institution has one or several good practices which by sharing can help all to improve rather than each re-inventing the wheel. ICHA stands for inclusive participation.ICHA believes in a solutions approach instead of the traditional ‘fault finding and correction’ approach resulting in well known responses to inspection and audit.

How I and our organization can participate in ICHA?

Healthcare affects us all and we need to contribute to its improvement. Details of ICHA are available through the links on the web page. You are requested to peruse these details on the web page at www.icha.in including the Enrolment register (which is periodically updated) for Associations and affiliates. Application forms for Individual affiliateship, Organizational affiliateship, Affiliateship for regional / speciality chapters Associations, and Voting membership for national associations / institutions can be downloaded in a printer friendly format from the web page.

What are the benefits of participation in ICHA?

Participants contribute to and share the “knowledge bank of best practices and continuous improvements?. ICHA provides the platform and support for mutual sharing and learning. Together we can institutionalize your innovations. You get preferential help through the “Champions of ICHA? and an opportunity to become one. All in all a worthwhile investment with high returns!

The Corn Story

There was a farmer who grew superior quality and award-winning CORN. Each year he entered his CORN in the state fair where it won honor and prizes.Once a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learnt something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors’. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year? the reporter asked.?Why sir, “said the farmer, “didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field.

If my neighbors grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.?The farmer gave a superb insight into the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor’s corn also improves. So it is in the other dimensions! Those who choose to be at harmony must help their neighbors and colleagues to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well. Success does not happen in isolation. It is very often a participative and collective process.

Achievement

Since its creation in 2002, ICHA has played a significant role in prioritizing the issue of patient safety in India. It took FIFTY years in UK, USA, Canada and Australia to achieve, what we have achieved in these few years. However, a lot still remains to be done to bring about the desired change thus reinforcing ICHA’s mission “Patient Safety as the core of Healthcare Excellence?.

Summary of recent major projects & assignments:

National Convention in 2005 supported by Govt. of India and WHO India Office, a pioneering event

Regional Convention in Bangalore in April 2007

Member working group for 11th Five year plan

Increasing number of enrolment in ICHA through awareness creation at various events

Current & Ongoing Projects:

We have submitted draft MOUs to Uttarakhand and Jharkhand Govts. to develop model Healthcare delivery system. Two districts in each state shall be taken up to pilot the implementation.

We are amongst the six organizations globally to be invited by Ministry of Health and Population, Govt. of Egypt to assist to restructure the country’s health care system.

Commonwealth Fellowship Programme: We received overwhelming response from the fraternity throughout the information dissemination, application and nomination process. We have successfully secured the maximum possible scholarships. Many more such opportunities will be available continually.

Multi – location events: One day events have been conducted all over the country. During these events we have covered the following:

Clean Care is Safer Care: The first Global Patient Safety Challenge (GPSC) by WHO for implementation by Healthcare Facilities.

Safe Surgery Saves Lives: The Second GPSC challenge by WHO for implementation by Healthcare Facilities. ICHA member, Association of Surgeons of India, has also published a combined booklet of first and second challenge for India.

Sensitize participants to all WAPS Action Areas and participation as appropriate.

Consultation and Interaction for participation in the above and Grand Convention in November 09 to identify Patient Safety Champions and Action Area teams

Bring major Healthcare systems – both public and private together

Partnership with Professional Councils to implement Patient Safety education

The first event was at held KEM Hospital, Mumbai on April 19th ‘09. The subsequent events were conducted in Bhopal on 10th May followed by programmes in Jaipur, Jalandhar, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ranchi, Bangalore, Lucknow, Vellore, Chennai and a scheduled programme at New Delhi. All the events so far have been extensively covered by the media and have generated very enthusiastic response. The summary of the events are tabulated below:

Date

Location

City

Participants

Organized by

19 April ‘09

KEM College & Hospital

Mumbai

84

Dr. Nikhil Datar / Dr. Vijay Belani

10 May ‘09

Gandhi Medical College & SZH

Bhopal

135

Dr. Neeraj Bedi / Dr. Aruna Kumar

23 May ‘09

Fortis hospital

Jaipur

85

Dr. Santosh Kumar

24 May ‘09

Hotel – IMA Jalandhar branch

Jalandhar

350

IMA Jalandhar Br.

31 May ‘09

Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences

Hyderabad

175

Dr. Rajan Shukla / Dr. K.T. Reddy

06 June ‘09

Calcutta Medical Research Institute

Kolkata

148

Mr. Rupak Barua

08 July ‘09

Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences

Ranchi

280

RCH Deptt., Govt. Of Jharkhand

27 July ‘09

API Bhavan

Bangalore

320

Dr. U. Vasudeva Rao

18 August ‘09

SGPGI of Medical Sciences

Lucknow

170

Prof. R. K. Sharma / Dr Hem Chandra

28 August ‘09

Christian Medical College

Vellore

70

Dr. Atanu Jana / Dr. Pushpraj Singh

29 August ‘09

Sri Ramachandra Medical College

Chennai

266

Dr. Mahesh Vakamudi / Dr. S. Arulrhaj

Develop partnerships with Healthcare Systems

ICHA Convention on Patient Safety: 27 – 29 November ‘09 in New Delhi-
The convention had detailed deliberations on various aspects of Patient Safety and focus on all WHO-Patient Safety Action Areas. Special focus was on India centric priorities and contributions.
The outcomes were that ICHA fraternity along with Global Partners will undertake the following:

Establish ICHA Alliance for Patient Safety to form Action Area Groups to sustain and carry forward the Patient Safety mission continually

WHO Medical Curriculum being implemented at MAMC, New Delhi as a pilot site while other sites are being encouraged to implement on their own.

Global Pulse Oximetry project being undertaken by Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists.

Association of Surgeons of India has taken a lead role by publishing a combined booklet for GPSC I & II and making it available to all associations and implementing institutions / hospitals.

ICHA Patient Safety Initiative – The Future Focus

Patient Safety Education in educational institutions through Professional Councils and online programmes

Best practices implementation in all areas

Address India Centric concerns like Maternal and Neonatal Safety

Partnerships with major public and private Healthcare systems

Technology Innovations

Constituent Associations/Institutions

A large number of Individuals and organizations (Affiliates) make ICHA capable of being one-stop destination for healthcare excellence.

Currently, all the major National Associations/Institutions of Medical Sciences and practitioners (Clinical, Lab, Admin), Nursing, Pharmacy, Therapy, Consumers, Management and Architects are our subscribers. All the Associations/Institutions are well established and are recognized as apex bodies in their respective fields.

ICHA at a glance

Background

Indian Confederation for Healthcare Accreditation is a globally recognized organization championing Patient Safety by bringing together all the diverse stakeholders on a single platform. ICHA has been operational since 2002 and was officially registered as a not for profit organization in the year 2004 under Section 25 of the Companies Act. ICHA has pioneered and shaped the Patient Safety movement in India and have been working relentlessly towards strengthening health system for better quality healthcare. Over the years, ICHA has emerged as a convenor, pioneer, leader championing healthcare par excellence in India and envisioning to make India the health destination of the world.

Focus Area

ICHA works for safe, quality, accessible, equitable and affordable healthcare for all in India and globally with our technical and professional competencies covering the areas of education, awareness, adoption and implementation of best practices and thus, bring about the desired change.

Approach

Empowering Healthcare Users

We work with Healthcare Users to provide Patient Safety advice & generate awareness on Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Capacitating Healthcare Providers

We work with Healthcare Providers to improve Patient Safety practice, implementation, assessment and education

Status & recognition

Multi-stakeholder body

Currently, all the major National Associations/Institutions of Medical Sciences and practitioners (Clinical, Lab, Admin), Nursing, Pharmacy, Therapy, Consumers, Management and Architects are our subscribers. There are nearly 700 Affiliates from all walks and all across the country.

Global Recognition

ICHA has become globally recognized most optimal and credible platform for knowledge, expertise on transforming healthcare for better quality, access, cost and risk minimisation. ICHA is amongst the six organizations globally to be invited by Ministry of Health and Population, Govt. of Egypt to assist to restructure the country's health care system. ICHA is empanelled with DFID for Quality Assurance in Health Sector.

Member

ICHA was Member of the Working Group for 11th Five -Year Plan (2007-2012).
ICHA is a member of Credibility Alliance.

Network & Worldwide Reach

This page is under construction…

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